The inaugural Cake Bake & Sweets Show was like stepping into a sugary wonderland and world of pure imagination. The three day event was held at Sydney Olympic Park and drew together celebrity chefs, bakers, cake artists and stall holders and was the largest gathering of its kind in the Southern hemisphere.

The event was full to bursting with no less than 54 different exhibitors offering up samples and goods for sale. This covered everything from specialist cake decoration pieces and cake art through to raw ingredients like sugar, nuts and chocolate. There were also lots of finished desserts up for sale including fluffy macarons, large round cake pops in every style imaginable plus gingerbread, cookies and other sweet treats.

To the left of the entrance visitors could first walk past the dessert table showcase where a number of different exhibitors had put together elaborate table settings full of decadent morning and afternoon teas (these looked like something out of a movie or a childhood classic like Alice In Wonderland or Charlie & The Chocolate Factory). From there the punters could then complete the wedding cake walk where some standard white meringues were offered up alongside more eccentric tiered varieties, which helped prove that variety is the spice of life.

At the back of the hall the entrants in the Australian Cake Decorating Championships proved a real revelation in how creative and imaginative some people can be. The level of detail and effort that went into producing some of these magnificent pieces was nothing short of astounding. It also meant that the cakes entered resembled actual works of art more so than your standard idea of “dessert”.

The day was full of free talks and presentations with four different theatres and three classrooms (one was a paid one which cost $20 per session and you could take away what you had made). The chefs and cooks presenting on the day included the likes of Duff Goldman, Eric Lanlard, Dan Lepard and Adriano Zumbo who spoke about everything from tempering chocolate to the humble meat pie, from baking 101s to sugar decorations and air-brushing.

There were also some relative newcomers to the cooking game in the form of two current My Kitchen Rules’ contestants,Carly & Tresne. They were upbeat and fun as they served up dad jokes along with their ricotta and spinach calzone. They were in good company as the show’s 2012 finalists, Nic & Rocco, were also in attendance and their stall had a very prominent, “sold out” sign on it.

he Cake Bake & Sweets Show was a fun-filled and busy day for those who like to make their desserts and eat them too. The Expo had featured highly informative classes, knowledgeable exhibitors and a rainbow array of sweet treats that were simply to die for. Those fortunate enough to visit their inaugural show were spoiled for choice and were free to indulge themselves like kids in a candy store.